calling all salad recipes!

Looking for some new salad ideas. Love the basic: mac and potato and slaws, but I need some new ideas(or really old ones that appear in some old cookbook). Not sure I want to try ones where the ingredients will cost more than a great steak or where I have to look all over town for some spice that I'll only use once.

Hey, this may help the peeps responding to the July 4th thread....

Cucumber and Blueberry Salad that SuBu shared with me last summer...

One I like for summer is to just dice up some roma tomatoes and english cucumbers and mix it with just a small amount of mozzerella or jack cheese and italian dressing (I prefer the Good Seasons dry packet using apple cider vinegar). So easy and good for those hot days.

Another one my mom makes pretty frequently is a pea salad. It's pricy and not at all low cal/fat, but it's delicious. Mix a bag or two of the frozen petite peas with a little grated red onion, crispy bacon (approx. 1 lb), and cashews (maybe a cup or two). The dressing is mayo (about a cup and a half) and sour cream (maybe a cup). Sometimes we'll mix a half a packet of Uncle Dan's ranch dressing mix into the mayo and sour cream for an extra little kick.

lettuce and tomato

My standby.

GnP- That's my favorite too!!

Ingredients
8 ounces uncooked angel hair pasta, broken into thirds
1 small cucumber, peeled and chopped
1 medium green pepper, chopped
1 package (8 ounces) sliced pepperoni, quartered
2 cans (2-1/4 ounces each) sliced ripe olives, drained
1/2 cup Italian salad dressing
1-1/4 cups shredded Parmesan cheese
Directions
Cook the pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, combine the cucumber, green pepper, pepperoni and olives in a large bowl. Drain pasta and rinse in cold water; add to pepperoni mixture. Drizzle with salad dressing and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese; toss to coat. Yield: 4-6 servings.

Strawberry Romaine Salad -- I omit the poppy seeds and use all romaine instead of adding spinach because of family preference.

Ingredients
1 head romaine lettuce - rinsed, dried, and chopped
2 bunches fresh spinach - chopped, washed and dried
1 pint fresh strawberries, sliced
1 Bermuda onion, sliced
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1/3 cup white sugar
1/4 cup milk
2 tablespoons poppy seeds

Directions
In a large salad bowl, combine the romaine, spinach, strawberries and sliced onion.
In a jar with a tight fitting lid, combine the mayonnaise, vinegar, sugar, milk and poppy seeds. Shake well and pour the dressing over salad. Toss until evenly coated.

Ingredients
1 octopus (4 to 5 pounds)
4 stalks celery, medium diced
4 lemons, juiced
1 can large pitted olives, halved
1 clove garlic, minced
3/4 red onion, medium diced
1 tablespoon parsley, chopped
Olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
Directions
In large stock pot boil octopus until tender (1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours). Take out and let cool. When cool, clean and slice. In a large mixing bowl, add celery, juice from the lemons, olives, garlic, onion, parsley, and sprinkle with olive oil. Mix well and season salad with salt and pepper. Remove from mixing bowl and serve at room temperature.

Antipasto Salad

Cubed Ham
Cubed Salami
Cubed Provolone
Black Olives
Diced roasted red peppers
Pepperoncini
Artichoke hearts
scallions
shredded carrots
sliced celery
grape tomatoes
Cooked pasta
Garlic powder
Oregano & Basil
Olive oil
Vinegar


Use whatever amounts you want, toss together. Good for outdoor parties since there is no may.



PS- soometimes I skip the pasta and just put the salad over lettuce

Cowboy caviar, any number of acceptable recipes. Some use as a salad, others as a chip sort of dip, though it's a bit robust for that. Generally includes:

Garbanzo beans
Diced tomato
Diced avocado
Corn
Italian dressing
Onion

I've brought this for several different food day occasions, people always love it.

Edamame Salad

Edamame
Onion
Tomatoes
Asiago cheese
Italian Dressing
Balsamic Vinegar

Horsemeat Salad

Recipe ingredients
1 1/4 lb. (565 g) horse tenderloin, finely sliced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 cup (60 mL)extra light olive oil *
1/2 cup (125 mL) red wine
10 cups (2.5 L) mixed gourmet lettuce
1/3 cup (75 mL) fresh chopped coriander
1 onion, minced
Preparation
In a bowl, mix slices of horsemeat, garlic, 30 mL (2 Tbsp.) oil and red wine; macerate 30 minutes.
In a frying pan, heat the rest of the oil; cook the slices of horsemeat with the marinade over medium high heat; bring to a boil; lower heat; cook about 5 minutes, turning meat only once. Keep hot.
Put lettuce on a plate; sprinkle with coriander.
Add onion; place slices of horsemeat on the salad; lightly cool the marinade; pour over the salad. Serve.


Suggestion
Horsemeat is best when served rare.

Poppy seeds will mess up one's UA sample. Just sayin'.....

Black Bean Salad

Black beans, rinsed & drained
diced tomato
frozen whole-kernel corn, thawed, rinsed & drained
diced red onion
diced bell pepper
(if you want a little heat, add some diced jalepeno)

Toss all of the above in a bowl with olive oil, salad vinegar, salt, black pepper, and chili powder, cover tightly and let it chill overnight. Always a big hit, and makes an excellent dip if you break it up a little bit more in a food processor.

Tossed salad is the best.

I like lettuce, tomato, shredded cheese, pepperoni slices and italian dressing

I just made this last night for my niece's graduation party tomorrow!! Definitely a crowd pleaser!!!

Bacon Salad

Ingredients

Bacon
Lettuce

Directions

Cook bacon to desired crispness. Look at lettuce in refridgerator. Decide not to use it. Serve bacon.

Pea Salad

frozen green peas, thawed, rinsed, and drained
shredded mild cheddar cheese
sour cream
salt
pepper
shredded (or chopped) lettuce or greens blend

Make a bed of lettuce in the bottom of a casserole dish. Mix all the other ingredients together and spread over the greens. Can be topped with fried onions or crushed crackers.

(my husband's aunt uses mayo to make this, but I prefer sour cream)

Tomatos + Basil + Fresh Mozzerella = Heaven.

Drizzled with 15y/o balsamic and you got a winner.

try not to use drizzled and pee salad in the same thread

thank you

Bacon-3 Bean Salad

1 can pinto beans
1 can black beans
1 can light red kidney beans
(all of these - rinse & drain and dump into a big bowl)

Into food processor (roughly chop all ahead of time so they will process evenly):
1 red onion
1 green bell pepper
1 bunch (about 6 ribs) celery
1 seeded and peeled cucumber
1-2 cloves peeled garlic
Process until fairly well diced and blended, then add to beans

Mix beans & veggies together. Add 2 cups cooked, drained, and chopped (or cumbled) bacon. Season with salt & pepper, then dress with olive oil and vinegar. Good immediately, but better after chilling 24 hours.

WARNING: makes a HUGE batch!

There's always this classic...


Salad

Ingredients

Lettuce
Salad Dressing

Directions

Combine lettuce with dressing of you choice. Serve.

Tuna/Pasta Salad

1 can drained tuna in spring water
1 lb. box elbow macaroni, cooked following package directions
1 stalk celery, chopped small
4 tablespoons Miracle Whip (or Mayo)
Celery salt, salt, pepper, garlic, oregano, parsley to taste

Or if you are really in a hurry, just "Wedge" cut the lettuce and pour you flavorite dressing over it.

I've also used a garlic viniagrette, or a little olive oil and salt+pepper, added some pasta, etc. Almost any variation of those three ingredients works.

Grape Salad
5-7 lbs seedless grapes (green/red assorted)
2 packages cream cheese
2 cups powdered sugar

Blend the cream cheese and sugar. Fold in grapes. Sprinkle mixture of brown sugar and crushed pecans on top.

Very easy and a favorite at our gatherings. (best if grapes are on sale and not $4.00/lb!!)

Avocado / Tomato Salad

Slice a fresh, ripe avocado
Slice 2 small or 1 large tomato(es)
Alternate/arrange slices on a plate to look purty
Sprinkle with fresh chopped chives
Squeeze one lemon wedge over the top
Sprinkle with a pinch of coarse salt (I like sea salt)

Cover plate with saran, chill for 15 minutes, serve.

That sounds awesome!!

If I lived on the North Shore, I would eat this every day.

Ahi Poke Salad

Ingredients
1 1/4 pounds ahi tuna, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1/4 cup minced onion
1/4 cup minced green onion
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
2 tablespoons lightly crumbled wakame seaweed
1 tablespoon ground roasted macadamia nuts
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
8 leaves iceberg lettuce
2 tablespoons cilantro leaves, for garnish
Directions
1.Mix together the ahi tuna, minced onion, green onion, ginger, seaweed, macadamia nuts, sesame oil, and red pepper in a mixing bowl. Cover and refrigerate at least one hour, for the flavors to come together. Arrange the lettuce leaves on a serving platter, spoon the ahi poke on top, and garnish with the cilantro.

Carrot Salad

3 cups grated fresh washed carrots
2/3 cup raisins
1 large apple, cored and chopped into 1/2 inch chunks
1/4 cup mayo
Blend and serve. A crowd-pleaser. Kids seem to love this.

I love carrot salad! You can also substitute pineapple for the apple in BurntSienna's recipe.

That does sound yummy!

My family calles this 'Special Salad'. never have any left-overs on this one!

Field greens
thinly sliced red onion
cubed crisp apple (not delicious - gala works well)
dried cranberries
Emeril's spiced nuts made with pecans only
raspberry vinagrette

Cucumber Yogurt Salad

Peel, halve, and slice 2 cucumbers
1 cup lowfat or fat free plain yogurt
Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon dried (or 2 teaspoons fresh) dill
Mix, sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Great on its own or even better as a palate cooler when eating spicy Thai or Indian food.

i didn't fight to the top of the food chain to eat salad!

Salads are great complements to USDA prime steaks cooked rare to medium rare.

Steak Salad (for happy)

Grilled flank steak (medium RARE and slice thin against the grain)
Layer salad greens on a plate
top with sliced tomatoes, scallions, salted almond and bleu cheese
lay on the sliced steak

Serve with a vinaigrette belu cheese dressing

Enjoy...

The pasta salad my saddle club requests for every function:

1 lb penne or rotini pasta, cooked, drained, and cooled
1 small carton cherry or grape tomatoes, halved or chopped
2 cucumbers, peeled, seeded, and chopped
1 red onion, diced
1 small pkg pepperoni, chopped
drained kalamata olives
1 bottle Kraft Greek Vinaigrette

Mix everything together and let chill for about an hour (can be longer, but not more than overnight). Toss with baby spinach and feta cheese crumbles before serving.

Sounds great except for the olives.

For the non-mayo people (like me!) sub 1/4 cup sour cream whipped with 2-3 tablespoons of pineapple juice.

::throws olives at Swimware::

Orzo and Cherry Tomato Salad

Cook 1/2 pound of orzo pasta according to the box directions but add a little salt in the water while boiling

2 pints cherry tomatoes (I mix some red/ripe and some yellow/almost ripe) washed, cut in half, and put in a big bowl (don't refrigerate the tomatoes - room temp or sun-warmed from the garden is even better)

Drizzle with about 1/8 to 1/4 cup of olive oil

Peel and chop a large cucumber and one or two green onions, add and mix

Sieve and cool the cooked orzo slightly with tepid water

Crumble in some feta cheese

Sprinkle with oregano and black pepper (to taste).

Add the juice of a whole lemon, and blend the orzo together with the rest.

If you leave out the feta, you'll need to add a little more salt to bring out the flavor. If you use feta, it's plenty salty to work.

why would anyone think of cooking in steak in this manner? Might as well just eat it right when cut from the cow...

And they get stuck in your teeth. Blech

Mythbusters proved this wrong, unles you eat about 10 pounds of them in one sitting

::prepares steak tartare and carpaccio for Happy::

Sounds great (after the aging, of course).

Actually I'm planning on having some well done steak tonight. Can't decide if I should go for Pemmican or Jack Links. Any suggestions?

Oh sure, Happy is not even on the spreadsheet and he gets free steak.

Oh, he's on the spreadsheet alright, for a loooonnnng time.

must be on the other spreadsheet.

Oh, he's on the spreadsheet, Odd...he's on the spreadsheet!

*stares at AG*

*watched Deek make new spreadsheet*

^^^ did not.

wasn't even aware there was a spreadsheet, much less that i'm on it...

[sally field font and voice] you like me, you really really like me[/sally field font and voice]

Ed, you're welcome to that gross abomination of steak with green stuff DQ prepared...about the only green i care for is mint chocolate chip ice cream or lime jello!

and the mint chocolate chip ice cream must be green, right!

one time, someone tried passing off mint chocolate chip ice cream to me and it was vanilla colored. Um, sure it sorta tasted like the green stuff, but it wasn't the same.

Carpaccio - had it once in San Francisco - LOVED it! Hubby notsomuch.

Ed, you're welcome to that gross abomination of steak with green stuff DQ prepared...about the only green i care for is mint chocolate chip ice cream or lime jello!


Do you have an issue with Tanq infused steak?

I hear she cut off the green part prior to cooking medium (never burnt).

yes, mint ice cream should be green...i have seen the vanilla colored, just something wrong with that...

Best green ice cream (IMO): pistachio.....love that stuff.

VERY Yummy!

werd.

Why would anyone want to cook a steak any longer than medium rare? Might as well let a briquette cool and just eat that! Just wave mine over the fire long enough to stop it from mooing and warm it up

<---- loves salads

Thanks for getting us back on track, ma!!!

Nice!

Now I'm in the mood for some carpaccio

I actually like a basic wedge salad with blue cheese crumbles and strips of bacon, and olive oil.

me too, BB!

but i want my crumbles on the side...i need to control them

^^^may have been a late bloomer^^^

<--pistachio virgin

You need to try it. Around here, the closest you can find is pistachio almond (pistachio "flavored" ice cream with almonds in it), but the real deal is even better.

My contribs:

salad #1: 1 bag frozen peas, thawed
4 strips bacon. Cook until crisp and crumbly
2 ribs celery. Cut into small pieces
4-6 green onions. Cut and use the white part; not too much of the green.
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mayo.

Throw all together.

Salad #2

Coleslaw variation
Dressing: 1/2 cup canola oil
4 tbs sugar
6 tbs rice vinegar
1 tsp seasoned salt
1/4 tsp garlic salt
1/4 tsp pepper

salad

1 can (16 oz) cashew halves
1/4 cup sesame seeds
2 pkgs ramen noodles
2 a6 oz coleslaw mix

saute cashews and seeds until golden (cool off - place in zip bag until you wish to assemble salad)
break up noodles into another zip bag - until needed

make dressing - place in tupperware until ready to assemble salad

put salad, cashews/seeds and noodles in large bowl
pour on dressing
mix up

Some people reduce oil and add more sugar.

This salad travels easily and you can put it together for a picnic, party, etc.

has been very popular with both.

My contribs:

salad #1: 1 bag frozen peas, thawed
4 strips bacon. Cook until crisp and crumbly
2 ribs celery. Cut into small pieces
4-6 green onions. Cut and use the white part; not too much of the green.
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mayo.

Throw all together.

Salad #2

Coleslaw variation
Dressing: 1/2 cup canola oil
4 tbs sugar
6 tbs rice vinegar
1 tsp seasoned salt
1/4 tsp garlic salt
1/4 tsp pepper

salad

1 can (16 oz) cashew halves
1/4 cup sesame seeds
2 pkgs ramen noodles
2 16 oz coleslaw mix

saute cashews and seeds until golden (cool off - place in zip bag until you wish to assemble salad)
break up noodles into another zip bag - until needed

make dressing - place in tupperware until ready to assemble salad

put salad, cashews/seeds and noodles in large bowl
pour on dressing
mix up

Some people reduce oil and add more sugar.

This salad travels easily and you can put it together for a picnic, party, etc.

has been very popular with both.

Garden spiral pasta: tossed with seasoned bite-sized chunks of chicken breast and fresh veggies

Yield:

8 large servings
Ingredients:

16 ounces garden spiral pasta, cooked according to package instructions
1 cup thinly sliced carrots
1 cup (total) diced green, yellow, and red bell peppers
1 cup broccoli florets, cut into bite-sized pieces
1-1/2 small onion, finely chopped (optional)
16 ounces boneless skinless chicken breast
1 tablespoon oil
1-1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1-1/2 teaspoon pepper
4 ounces Ranch salad dressing
8-10 ounces Italian salad dressing (we used Olive Garden)
salt, to taste

Instructions:

1. Cut chicken breast into small, bite-sized pieces. Saute in oil until fully cooked. Drain excess liquid
and season with garlic powder and pepper.

2. In a large bowl, stir together the cooked pasta, vegetables, and cooked chicken. Add Ranch and Italian
salad dressings and stir to coat.

Add an additional 1-2 teaspoons of water if mixture is too dry. * add salt to taste. Chill until ready to
Serve

Smoked sausage or ham can be substituted.

Can the smoked sausage be a substitution for the?
16 ounces garden spiral pasta, cooked according to package instructions
1 cup thinly sliced carrots
1 cup (total) diced green, yellow, and red bell peppers
1 cup broccoli florets, cut into bite-sized pieces
1-1/2 small onion, finely chopped (optional)
1 tablespoon oil
1-1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1-1/2 teaspoon pepper
4 ounces Ranch salad dressing
8-10 ounces Italian salad dressing (we used Olive Garden)
salt, to taste

http://www.foodnetwork.com/holidays-and-parties/summer-cookout-salad-recipes/pictures/index.html

Made a delicious salad on Sunday:

Some Shredded lettuce
Some crumbled feta cheese
Hidden Valley Ranch fat free dip envelope (powder)
1 ripe red tomato, diced up
1 firm avocado, diced up
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
Some chopped fresh chipotle
The juice of half a lime squeezed over the top

We served it with sliced tomatoes and sliced cucumbers drizzled with red wine vinegar and olive oil, topped with dill on the side... and grilled BBQ sauced chicken. Yummers.

I hate recipes so I don't have any measurements to provide, but I love making chicken salad for sandwiches.

I poach a chicken breast with a teaspoon of sumac and salt (the chicken will come out with a pink/rose coloring from the sumac). Peel and chop some apples (I prefer the varieties with more crunch for this). Then finely chop some fresh tarragon. I then roughly chop the chicken breast into small cubes and place it in a bowl with the chopped apples and tarragon. I season with sea salt and black pepper to taste, add enough mayo to bind and carefully mix without damaging the apples.

Oriental Cole Slaw

Serves 8-10

1—10oz or 2—6oz bags of coleslaw mix
2—4oz pkgs slivered almonds, toasted
6 green onions (can use dried minced onion)
2—3oz pkgs chicken-flavored ramen noodles
½ c sugar (can use Splenda—doesn’t combine together quite as well however)
½ c vegetable oil
¼ c cider vinegar (important to use cider vinegar as opposed to the white)
½ tsp each salt & pepper

Combine coleslaw, almonds & onions in large bowl; sprinkle with broken ramen noodles, reserving seasoning packet.

Combine sugar, oil, vinegar, salt, pepper & seasoning packets in separate bowl, mix well. Pour over coleslaw mixture & toss well. Chill.

Needs to be prepared at least 1 hour before serving. Does wilt down—place into smaller serving bowl.

I also like making a nice slaw with a peanut/ginger dressing. I julienne some regular and red cabbage and carrots.

In a microwave safe cup or bowl add peanut butter (roughly one nice tablespoon per serving) and zap it really quick to loosen it and make it easy to stir. I add mirin, light soy and (depending on your texture preferences) finely diced or grated ginger. Mix very well, pour over the slaw mix and toss to coat, then garnish with crushed roasted peanuts.

*I like things spicy so I add some chili oil to mine too!

This sounds really good, but what is mirin?

Mirin is a Japanese condiment which contains about 14% alcohol.

http://japanesefood.about.com/od/saucecondiment/p/mirinprofile.htm

I'm in Scandinavia Central here so highly doubt the local grocery stores will have mirin. Is there something I could use as a substitute?

sake and sugar mixed 3ish to 1

Here's 2 I don't have specific measurements, so sorry:

Pesto Pasta Salad (simple)
Package of pasta of choice (I prefer bow tie)
Large container of pesto (the kind in the fresh pasta section at the grocery store, or homemade)
Parmesan cheese - I use a ton
1/2 cup or more pine nuts
Diced cherry tomatoes for topping (if you want)

Cook, rinse & drain pasta, toss all ingredients together, add olive oil if/as needed, chill for a couple of hours or overnight.

This is so easy and people I know beg me to bring it. You can also add some cooked chicken and have it as a main dish

Curry Rice Salad
1 box chicken flavored rice a roni
Any/all of the following chopped/diced
Red/yellow/orange peppers
Green onion
Red/white onion
Olives
Celery
Mayo
Yellow Curry powder

Cook rice a roni & let cool. Toss all ingredients with mayo mix in desired amount of curry powder (I usually use at least 1 tablespoon, probably more). Chill for at least an hour or overnight. You can also add diced cooked chicken and/or peanuts to this one. With the chicken and the peanuts, it's also good in a pita.

Romaine Lettuce
Roma Tomatoes (seeded and cut into quarters)
Garlic Cloves (chopped)
Olive Oil
Salt
Pepper
Goat Cheese

Arrange tomatoes and garlic on sheet pan, drizzle with plenty of olive oil, and sprinkle w salt and pepper.

Put in oven on Broil setting for aprox 10 min (keep eye on it so it does not burn)

Put romain lettuce in bowl or container of your choice and pour warm tomatoes on lettuce.

Top with Goat Cheese and lightly toss.

I usually serve this with either grilled chicken, pork, or steak. It's usually a combines effort between me and my husband as I prepare the salad and he grills the meat

Just go to the section of the store where they have soy sauce and look for Rice Wine Vinegar. Kikkoman makes it so it should be right by the Kikkoman soy sauce. If they really do not have it at any grocery stores near you, you should be able to substiture regular white wine vinegar and add a small amount of sugar.

I live in the back side of nowhere and found it in Winn Dixie.

I like making a nice pasta salad with penne, proscuitto, peas, a little mayo to bind (can also use olive oil) and chili flakes since I like things spicy. Season with salt and pepper to taste of course.